WPS-WEA Come to Terms on Two-Year Contract

Keeping its commitment to the community to "attract and retain high-quality staff", bargaining units for Westminster Public Schools (WPS) and the Westminster Education Association (WEA) reached a tentative agreement on Feb. 4, 2019.

Under the proposal, starting teachers will earn $50,000 a year with an opportunity for long-term teachers to earn up to $100,000. In the following year, beginning pay will start at $52,820 and top out at $106,702.

"This tentative agreement shows how much we value our staff and keeps a promise we made to voters," said Superintendent Pam Swanson." As I told our community when we moved off the accountability clock last year, our success was because of everyone pulling together and this agreement reflects that point of view."

Voters passed a $9.9 million mill-levy override in November of 2018 with the understanding that a significant portion of the money would go to employees of the district. Those dollars, combined with a projected increase in funding from the state of Colorado, will pay for the salary and benefit increases offered to district employees. Click here to see the detailed agreement.

"Resolving contract issues in one session allows us to all pull together and focus on educating our children. This is a win-win for everyone," said Swanson.

In 2007, WPS (then Adams County School District 50) offered a $40,000 a year starting salary to attract the best and brightest teachers to the district. At the time, it was the highest starting salary in the metro area. During the same period, the district moved to a Competency Based System (CBS) in which students advance to the next learning level only after showing mastery and understanding of a learning topic. CBS allows some students to advance more quickly, while others can take the necessary time to fill in gaps in their learning. The goal is to ensure that every student is ready for the day after graduation.